Hygiene
"The way to get elected to the Knesset with Kadima is to take a bath with Olmert when you are a baby."
Labor's Ophir Paz-Pines commenting on the fact that there are three people on Kadima's list are Olmert's childhood buddies.

Binyamin Netanyahu has a laughing moment.
Photo: Ariel Jerozolimksi [file]

Parallels
"I will fight against drugs, alcohol, children and other problems."
Pnina Rosenblum prior to her swearing in ceremony as a new Knesset member.

Youth
"I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. I love my job, I am not sick, I'm not even old!"
An energized Shimon Peres a day before losing to Amir Peretz in the Labor leadership race.

Sun screen
"If Labor does not wish to get blamed for corruption, then they shouldn't walk in the sun with tons of butter on their head."
Former Labor minister and current Kadima member Haim Ramon uses the Hebrew phrase for 'People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones'.

Gastronomy
"Labor's Knesset slate is a list of 'gefilte fish'."
Shas Chairman Eli Yishai complains about the fact that Labor's list is comprised of mainly Ashkenazi candidates.

"The Likud list is like a chocolate chip cookie."
The same Yishai on a list that has mainly 'white' (Ashkenazi) candidates and a few 'black' ('Mizrahi') candidates.

MK Pnina Rosenblum enjoys a moment with Labor Chairman Amir Peretz.
Photo: Ariel Jerozolimski [file]

Voter attraction
"When I was a child, we sliced the bread thick and spread the butter thin."
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz wants to appeal to voters from lower classes.

Learning curve
"Amir is already able to construct sentences on his own."
Amir Peretz's English teacher reports on the progress of his famous student.

Phrase usage
"Netanyahu should watch his back or he could find a knife in it."
A senior Likud member comments on Netanyahu's efforts to undermine the Likud ministers' re-election efforts in the Likud primary race.

Relationships
"Lili Sharon was a wonderful woman who was married to a very strange man."
Ehud Olmert, in a March 2000 quote, speaks of his political mentor before the two became allies.

Wedding night
"They want us to go to the 'cupha' without a 'ketuba'."
NRP Chairman Zevulun Orlev comments on negotiations with the National Union.

Sales
"It's like selling cabin rooms on the titanic."
Former Shinui minister Yosef Partizki on the negotiations between the two rival Shinui factions.

Contraceptives
"Whoever votes for Olmert would not be able to fix what he had done even with a morning-after pill."
Eran Hermoni, chairman of Labor's young guard, warns voters of consequences of their actions.

Sorcery
"If Labor manages to come and go from here without getting cursed, it's an accomplishment in itself."
A vendor at the market in Lod - traditionally a Likud stronghold - during a visit by Labor MKs.

Strategy
"Our job in this campaign is to make it boring."
Kadima member Tzachi Hanegbi fears critical mistakes that could jeopardize his party's expected victory.

Help
"We would be happy to supply him with towel's to wipe off his sweat."
Kadima adviser Lior Horev on Netanyahu's tendency to perspire.